Parnassus on Wheels eBook

It seems absurd to think that it’s only three
days since I left Sabine Farm. Honestly, more
has happened to me in these three days than in three
years at home.

I’m sorry that you and Mr. Mifflin disagreed
but I quite understood your feelings. But I’m
very angry that you should have tried to stop that
check I gave him. It was none of your business,
Andrew. I telephoned Mr. Shirley and made him
send word to the bank in Woodbridge to give Mifflin
the money. Mr. Mifflin did not swindle me into
buying Parnassus. I did it of my own free will.
If you want to know the truth, it was your fault!
I bought it because I was scared you would
if I didn’t. And I didn’t want to
be left all alone on the farm from now till Thanksgiving
while you went off on another trip. So I decided
to do the thing myself. I thought I’d see
how you would like being left all alone to run the
house. I thought it’d be pretty nice for
me to get things off my mind a while and have an adventure
of my own.

Now, Andrew, here are some directions for you:

1. Don’t forget to feed the chickens twice
a day, and collect all the eggs. There’s
a nest behind the wood pile, and some of the Wyandottes
have been laying under the ice house.

2. Don’t let Rosie touch grandmother’s
blue china, because she’ll break it as sure
as fate if she lays her big, thick Swedish fingers
on it.

3. Don’t forget your warmer underwear.
The nights are getting chilly.

4. I forgot to put the cover on the sewing machine.
Please do that for me or it’ll get all dusty.

5. Don’t let the cat run loose in the house
at night: he always breaks something.

6. Send your socks and anything else that needs
darning over to Mrs. McNally, she can do it for you.

7. Don’t forget to feed the pigs.

8. Don’t forget to mend the weathervane
on the barn.

9. Don’t forget to send that barrel of
apples over to the cider mill or you won’t have
any cider to drink when Mr. Decameron comes up to
see us later in the fall.

10. Just to make ten commandments, I’ll
add one more: You might ’phone to Mrs.
Collins that the Dorcas will have to meet at some
one else’s house next week, because I don’t
know just when I’ll get back. I may be
away a fortnight more. This is my first holiday
in a long time and I’m going to chew it before
I swallow it.

The Professor (Mr. Mifflin, I mean) has gone back
to Brooklyn to work on his book. I’m sorry
you and he had to mix it up on the high road like
a couple of hooligans. He’s a nice little
man and you’d like him if you got to know him.

I’m spending Sunday in Bath: to-morrow
I’m going on toward Hastings. I’ve
sold five dollars’ worth of books this morning
even if it is Sunday.

Your affte sister
HELEN McGiLL.

P.S. Don’t forget to clean the separator
after using it, or it’ll get in a fearful state.